Posts Tagged ‘houston news’

Newscast Media CAIRO, Egypt — Egyptian newspapers are reporting that for the time being, former President Hosni Mubarak will remain at the hospital where he is being detained in Sharm el-Sheikh.

In a statement published on its Facebook page, the public prosecution said that a medical report prepared by a panel of doctors recommended against transferring the former president to Tora Prison hospital.

Al-Masry Al-Youm reports that the team of cardiac doctors sent by the prosecution to re-examine Mubarak said the Tora Prison hospital is not equipped to receive a patient in critical condition.

Mubarak “suffers from repetitive attacks of atrial fibrillation, accompanied by severe drops in blood pressure and momentary reductions in blood flow to the brain, which leads to a momentary loss of consciousness,” the panel said, according to the statement.

The panel said Mubarak suffers from cardiac irregularities that could lead to a sudden heart attack. The irregularities tend to increase when Mubarak is subjected to psychological pressure, it said. Mubarak also experiences depression and muscle weakness and cannot get out of bed without help, the panel said. X-rays have shown that he suffers from constriction in the carotid arteries.

The prosecution said it has sent the panel’s report to the criminal court for review before making a decision. It also submitted another copy to the interior minister to decide on whether to complete preparations at Tora Prison hospital.

Newscast Media HOUSTON, Texas –In an agreement that is likely to be repeated across the banking industry in the US, embattled financial institute Bank of America, has paid more than $2.5bn to settle a dispute over claims that it sold faulty mortgages to government-backed lenders. Bank of America said it paid $1.28bn to Freddie Mac and $1.34bn to Fannie Mae to resolve claims its Countrywide division sold products to the two giant mortgage lenders – whose loans are guaranteed by the US government – that may not have met underwriting standards.

Bank of America and its rivals have faced pressure from Freddie and Fannie and also private investors to either buy back mortgages or provide compensation for those loans that soured dramatically once US house prices started falling in late 2006. Most of the claims against Bank of America stem from mortgages sold by Countrywide Financial, a lender that Bank of America bought in a fire sale in summer 2008.

Brian Moynihan, Bank of America’s chief executive, said yesterday that the agreements “resolve substantial legacy issues in the best interest of our shareholders”. Shares in the bank, which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, climbed almost 5pc to $13.83 in early trading on Wall Street.

The bank said that the settlement, which covers more than $127bn of mortgages sold by Countrywide, resolves all claims made by Freddie and Fannie. However, Bank of America still faces billions of dollars in claims from private investors who allege they were sold faulty mortgages. Mr Moynihan said in October the bank would fight those investors whose attitude was “I bought a Chevy Vega but I want it to be a Mercedes”. http://newscastmedia.com/bankofamerica-freddie.html

1 comment - What do you think? Posted by
Joseph Earnest -
January 3, 2011 at 8:03 pm

Newscast Media HOUSTON, Texas — Manufacturers of nutritional products across America were targeted on Dec. 15, 2010, by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in an effort aimed at keeping consumers safe from harmful products that are marketed as dietary supplements and that contain undeclared or deceptively labeled ingredients. The FDA has found that these products are often promoted for weight loss, sexual enhancement, and bodybuilding.

This action might have a cross-over effect for those who sell edible products online. The implication of this is that even those who sell legitimate products online that are organic, like emergency food supplies, freeze dried meals, heirloom seeds for people to grow their own gardens and so forth, may soon be under the microscope or required to get FDA approval before they can sell foods online that are pre-packaged for emergency purposes. Right now the FDA is only focused on dietary supplements, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they shift their focus to others in the food industry.

The new steps FDA has taken include:
* A letter from Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret A. Hamburg to the
dietary supplement industry emphasizing its legal obligation and
responsibilities to prevent tainted products from reaching the U.S. market.
* A new rapid public notification system6 (RSS Feed) on its website to more
quickly warn consumers about these products.
* A mechanism for industry to alert FDA about potentially tainted products
and about the firms that make them.

Among the substances found in products that are marketed as dietary supplements and that contain hidden or deceptively labeled ingredients are
* the active ingredients in FDA-approved drugs or their analogs
(closely-related drugs).
* other compounds, such as novel synthetic steroids, that do not qualify as
dietary ingredients.

Where FDA investigations have discovered tainted products marketed as dietary supplements, the agency has issued warning letters and conducted seizures and criminal prosecutions.

FDA has also alerted consumers to hundreds of products with these often deceptively labeled and harmful ingredients, including more than 80 products marketed for sexual enhancement, more than 70 products marketed for weight loss, and more than 80 products marketed for bodybuilding. Michael Levy, director of FDA’s Division of New Drugs and Labeling Compliance, says labeling of these tainted products may claim that they are “alternatives” to FDA-approved drugs, or “legal” alternatives to anabolic steroids.

“Consumers should avoid products marketed as supplements that claim to have effects similar to prescription drugs,” Levy says. “Consumers should also be wary of products with labeling only in a foreign language or that are marketed through mass e-mails.”

The FDA has enlisted the support of five industry trade associations and is in the process of issuing warning letters to manufacturers and distributors. It’s warning that companies that sell and market tainted dietary supplements will face product seizures, injunctions and criminal prosecution. Sexual enhancement, weight loss and bodybuilding products are the most common supplements to contain illegal, deceptive or undeclared products, notes the FDA.

“The labelling of these tainted products may claim that they are ‘alternatives’ to FDA-approved drugs, or ‘legal’ alternatives to anabolic steroids,” notes the FDA’s director of drug evaluation and research, Michael Levy. The FDA move is applauded by Consumers Union, the organization the publishes the Consumer Reports.

“Tainted dietary supplements can send you to the hospital or kill you,” said Ellen Bloom, senior director of policy at Consumers Union.

“The FDA should be commended for prioritizing this issue and alerting consumers about dangerous supplements. Unfortunately the challenge is that more dangerous products keep popping up.”

In all, consumers should heed these potential warning signs of tainted products marketed as dietary supplements.
* Products claiming to be alternatives to FDA-approved drugs or to have
effects similar to prescription drugs.
* Products claiming to be a legal alternative to anabolic steroids.
* Products that are marketed primarily in a foreign language or those that are
marketed through mass e-mails.
* Sexual enhancement products promising rapid effects such as working in
minutes to hours, or long-lasting effects such as 24 hours to 72 hours.
* Products that provide warnings about testing positive in performance
enhancement drug tests.

Generally, if you are using or considering using any product marketed as a dietary supplement, FDA suggests that you
* check with your health care professional or a registered dietician on any
nutrients you may need in addition to your regular diet
* ask yourself: Does it sound too good to be true?
* Be cautious if the claims for the product seem exaggerated or
unrealistic
* Watch out for extreme claims—for example, “quick and effective,”
“cure-all;” “can treat or cure diseases; or “totally safe”
* Be skeptical about anecdotal information from personal “testimonials”
about incredible benefits or results obtained from using a product
* ask your health care professional for help distinguishing between reliable
and questionable information.

Newscast Media HOUSTON, Texas — The controversial health care bill that expands the federal government’s role in health care is being met with more resistance by Texas and 20 other states, including Florida, that have signed on to the lawsuit filed in Pensacola to overturn it. Should the cases hit a snag in U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson’s courtroom this Thursday, escalation to the Supreme Court is expected.

The states that filed the lawsuits argue that forcing people to have health coverage is unconstitutional, and that the health care law violates state’s rights guaranteed in the Constitution by imposing massive forced spending for expanded health programs. Despite being pressured by the Justice Department to dismiss the bulk of the Florida lawsuit, Vinson has stood his ground and refused to grant them their requests.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson, responding to a suit brought by Virginia Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, struck down a provision in the health care act requiring people to carry a minimum amount of health care coverage whether they choose to or not. Without the provision and the revenue it would generate, the rest of the plan would collapse.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, who was among the first to sign on to the legal challenge to the health care act, said, “There are limits to congressional power, and Congress has overstepped its limits here by forcing Americans to purchase health insurance, even against their will. No public policy goal, no matter how important or well-intentioned, can be allowed to trample the protections and rights guaranteed by our Constitution.” http://www.newscastmedia.com/gregabbott.html

Newscast Media NEW DEHLI , India — Last year’s attempt of the underwear bomber to smuggle and
detonate explosives aboard a plane has created an environment in airports across the country that many travelers view as an infringement on their civil rights. Some travelers in particular appear to be targets especially those of Middle Eastern persuasion, or some with no affiliation with Islam like Sikh men who wear turbans, but are actually Hindu not Muslim.

The Hindu press reported today that a few weeks ago in Houston, Texas airport security detained India’s UN envoy Hardeep Puri, for about half an hour and his crime was wearing a turban. As a Sikh, Puri’s tradition requires him to cover his head in public at all times. The turban is not permitted to be touched and is a symbol of piety and self-respect.

This however, did not stop airport officials from asking Puri to remove his turban during a security check at Houston Airport two weeks back, sources said.

Singh manned-up to airport officials and said, “No, you cannot check my turban. I will not allow you to touch my turban.”

He offered to touch the turban himself and said the officials had no right to touch his turban. He then cited TSA regulations in search of foreign diplomats.

“Obviously you don’t know your own rules,” he told a security agent. The agent insisted that he had to touch. “Don’t tell me the rules,” the security agent replied.

Surprisingly, when the security agents checked the rules, the Indian diplomat was correct, and they humbly apologized to the Indian ambassador. The country has lodged an official protest with US authorities through its Consulate General in Houston, sources said in New Delhi.

“I have taken it up with the US authorities and the matter is at that stage. Secretary of state Hillary Clinton has also give an indication to the fact that they have to revisit some of these procedures, particularly with reference to diplomatic cover of other countries,” external affairs minister S M Krishna said in New Delhi when asked about these searches. http://www.newscastmedia.com/turban.html

Newscast Media — Following the release of videos showing toddlers being given pat-downs, the head of security at airports in the United States has conceded that the new screening procedures do raise concerns and changes in them are justifiable. Passengers who opt out of the full body scan have reported being humiliated by Transport Security Administration (TSA) agents with invasive pat-downs.

John Pistole, head of the TSA, said: “We’re going to look at how can we do the most effective screening in the least invasive way knowing that there’s always a trade-off between security and privacy.

“There is a continual process of refinement and adjustment to ensure that best practices are applied.”

He urged travelers not to heed calls for a boycott tomorrow of the new Advanced Imaging Technology machines, which have so far been introduced at about 20 per cent of the country’s 2,100 airport security lanes, arguing it would cause unnecessary disruption for other travelers.

The day before the annual Thanksgiving holidayon Thursday traditionally sees the highest volume of passengers in a single day, while 24 million people are expected to fly over the extended holiday period.

Public concern has grown to the extent that both President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, have been asked about the issue.

“I understand how difficult it is, and how offensive it must be for the people who are going through it,” said Mrs Clinton.

Asked if she would submit to a pat-down, she replied: “Not if I could avoid it, no. I mean who would?”

Newscast Media — As she awaits the release of her next book “America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag” which will be available in bookstores on Nov 23, Sarah Palin has already scheduled a nine-day, 16-stop tour through the American heartland. There is no doubt Palin is embarking on this tour in preparation for a possible nomination bid in 2012.

She will be joined by Lousiana governor Bobby Jindal and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who many believe might run in 2012. Gingrich has said that he believes if Sarah Palin runs for president, she’d win in a landslide. Below are the tour dates of America by Heart:

Newscast Media — Former president George W. Bush appeared on the Rush Limbaugh show to promote his book “Decision Points” and acknowledged that Limbaugh and conservatives played a major role in killing what Limbaugh dubbed the “Amnesty” bill. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Limbaugh attacked George Bush, John McCain and Ted Kennedy for being “illegals’ best friends.”

Below is part of the interview:

RUSH: What was the objective of that legislation? What were you trying to accomplish with your comprehensive immigration reform because many people thought it was amnesty and that he they opposed it.

PRESIDENT BUSH: No, I know, and that’s what happens a lot of times these
issues get labeled and people react poorly. I couldn’t have said it more plainly. I was against amnesty. I don’t know many people who were for amnesty when it comes time for comprehensive reform. … I was trying to basically recognize that our economy required immigrants to work. I mean, there’s a lot of jobs Americans won’t do and therefore there needed to be an orderly, legal way for people to come and work on a temporary basis and that if you’d paid your taxes and had been here for a while and were a good citizen you had a chance to become a citizen, but you had to get at the back of the line.

RUSH:The politics of it though, many people feared that the Democrats simply wanted to register all these people as new Democrat voters, they weren’t concerned about any compassion they weren’t concerned about labor markets or any of that, they just saw they have a new form of Democrat votes and registration, and when Republicans went along with it, people were pulling their hair out saying why do we want to help Democrats out with their political efforts?

PRESIDENT BUSH:I know, I know, a lot of people view things through the political lens, I thought it was good policy though, and not all Democrats were for it on Capitol Hill, I might add. Anyway it is still an issue that needs to be solved at some point in time.

In the interview when Rush asked about the Arizona law, Bush answered implying that if his immigration bill had been passed it would have solved the Arizona immigration issue.

Newscast Media — On Friday, the man who was dubbed “The Architect” and Bush strategist said the GOP is on track to win back the House. In an interview, Karl Rove said, “I think Republicans are likely to take the House; it’s so bad for Democrats.”

Rove also said that the Republicans are approaching the 10-seat count that is necessary for them to recapture the Senate.

He said that getting those necessary 10 seats is contingent upon the Republicans holding on to all their current seats and also capturing seats held by Democrats in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Dakota, Arkansas, Colorado and Illinois and winning three of four in California, Washington, Wisconsin and Nevada — left-leaning or swing states with veteran Democratic incumbents.

In his hald-hour speech to Ralph Reed’s Faith and Freedom Coalition, Rove urged the Republican activists to use the last two months of the midterms to target those voters who are “up in the air.”

The former White House aide warned that if the country kept to its current fiscal course, “We’re going to look like Greece, only on steroids, without a European Union to bail us out.” http://newscastmedia.com/karlrove.htm

Newscast Media — Facebook, the social media heavyweight, is investigating how a post written by Sarah Palin that was against the mosque about to be built at Ground Zero mysteriously deleted itself.

Facebook spokesperson Andrew Noyes said, “Facebook is looking into this incident to determine why and how the content in question was removed.” In the apology, Facebook said, “We’re always working to improve our processes and we apologize for any inconvenience this caused.”

Former Alaska Gov. Palin has since re-posted a new note. The original note was posted on July 20, and it is believed that somehow the original post that was against the Ground Zero mosque, went rogue and unintentionally deleted itself. http://www.newscastmedia.com/sarahpalinfacebook.htm

2 comments - What do you think? Posted by
Joseph Earnest -
July 23, 2010 at 9:22 pm

Newscast Media — Shirley Sherrod had earlier said she wanted to speak to Barack Obama. She finally got her wish when he gave her a ring. The White House released this statement:

The President reached Ms. Sherrod by telephone at about 12:35. They
spoke for seven minutes.

The President expressed to Ms. Sherrod his regret about the events of the
last several days. He emphasized that Secretary Vilsack was sincere in his
apology yesterday, and in his work to rid USDA of discrimination.

The President told Ms. Sherrod that this misfortune can present an
opportunity for her to continue her hard work on behalf of those in need,
and he hopes that she will do so.

Newscast Media — Governor Rick Perry has expressed willingness to sit down and talk to Barack Obama about border solutions. Obama is scheduled to visit Texas on August 9, to raise funds for Democrats. The itinerary for the visit and logistics are still being worked out by White House officials but Obama is expected to make attend a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin.

Gov. Perry said, “I would sit down and meet with the president on border security. Absolutely.” Perry continued to say, “I want to talk to him about border security because Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw and our Texas Rangers and our local law enforcement have dealt with this issue. We have been able to show how you secure the border and would be happy to do that with Washington.”

Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security said Perry brought up the conversation about border security last month, and he said she was being testy. Napolitano said, “He said I was testy. I thought I was firm.”

The White House hasn’t responded as whether or not Barack Obama will meet with Gov. Perry.

Newscast Media — The GOP continued to filibuster against the extension of Unemployment Benefits for the jobless, but is there a method to the madness? Democrats have now passed a $33.9 billion in extra funds to aid jobless workers across the country who are in financial dire straits during this recession.

On Monday, in the Rose Garden, as he put pressure on the Republicans, Obama said, “A partisan minority in the Senate has used parliamentary maneuvers to block a vote, denying millions of people who are out of work much-needed relief. The same people who didn’t have any problem spending hundreds of billions of dollars on tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans are now saying we shouldn’t offer relief to middle-class Americans like Jim or Leslie or Denise, who really need help.”

The vote was 60-40 and the 60th vote came from newly sworn in Democrat Carte Goodwin, who made the decisive vote. Goodwin was quickly sworn in before the vote, to replace the late Senator Robert Byrd. Other votes that helped pass the package came from Moderate Republicans Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe.

The Republicans have long argued that they are not against helping the jobless by extending their Unemployment Benefits, they are against going into more debt, to fund this bill. The GOP says that instead of adding an additional $33.9 billion to the deficit, the bill should be funded with the $210 billion unused TARP(Troubled Asset Relief Program) money that is leftover from last year’s stimulus package.

Several days before the final vote took place, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said, “The only reason the unemployment extension hasn’t passed is because Democrats simply refuse to pass a bill that doesn’t add to the debt.”

Democrats refused to touch the available funds, and have been accused of hoarding the $210 billion so they can use it to bail out Wall Street, and the Central bankers who operate in the shadows.

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor said, “TARP funds borrowed from the taxpayer should not become a slush fund for the political whims of Washington. The TARP was passed last fall because most experts believed that our capital markets were on the verge of absolute collapse.”

So it only made sense to the Republicans that the taxpayers receive the money the government borrowed from them that is sitting around, and use it form of Unemployment Benefits, rather than borrow an additional $33 billion, which those same taxpayers will eventually have to pay back, for years and generations to come.

It takes roughly six to nine months for the average American in a recession to find new employment, since companies tend to shy away from those who don’t have jobs, but are more willing to hire people who are already employed and simply want to switch jobs.

Lisa Chenofsky Singer, a human resources consultant from Millburn, NJ, specializing in media and publishing jobs said, “Most executive recruiters won’t look at a candidate unless they have a job, even if they don’t like to admit to it. They think you must have been laid off for performance issues, this is a “myth” in a time of high unemployment.”

Judy Conti, a lobbyist for the National Employment Law Project says firms that hire unemployed job seekers could also benefit from a recently-passed tax break that essentially exempts them from paying the 6.2% of the new hire’s wages in Social Security taxes for the rest of this year.

NewscastMedia — Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson is shown here behind the scenes meeting with her supporters during the gubenatorial race. She was up against Rick Perry and finished second. On election night she told her supporters to stand behind Gov. Perry as he faces challenger Bill White, the former mayor of Houston.

NewscastMedia – Tea Party candidate Debra Medina is shown here behind the scenes meeting with her supporters during the gubenatorial race. She ran against incumbent Gov. Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchinson and lost the race. Medina said throughout her campaign that if she were elected governor, she would get rid of property taxes which she referred to as ‘paying rent’ to the government for property people already owned.

Newscast Media Houston news — Houston Dynamo, the two-time MLS champions will be hosting Manchester United at Reliant Stadium on July 28, 2010. The eagerly awaited North American tour will be sure to please soccer fans across the country.

Manchester United holds 18 Barclays Premier League Championship titles. Under the leadership of Sir Alex Ferguson since 1986, Manchester United has pieced together a lineup that is full of international stars such as Dimitar Berbatov (Bulgaria), Nani (Portugal), Edwin van der Sar (Netherlands), Antonio Valencia
(Ecuador) and legendary midfielder Ryan Giggs (Wales). This April, Manchester United announced the signing of Mexican star Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez.

The MLS All-Stars have won five of their previous six meetings with international clubs, outscoring their opponents 14-5. The game will be live on ESPN2.

Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush - Photo by Joseph Ernest

Former presidents George H. W. Bush and his son George W. Bush at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, honoring the troops. Over 10,000 Houstonians attended the event.
George W. Bush currently lives in Dallas while his father George H. W. Bush lives in Houston. PHOTO GALLERY>> http://www.newscastmedia.com/bushes.htm

4 comments - What do you think? Posted by
Joseph Earnest -
July 10, 2010 at 11:13 pm

NewscastMedia.com — The Guy Expo is no place for beta males. The theme is “All Thing Alpha,” for all the alpha males out there. The event first debuted in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and also held in Houston at the George R. Brown Convention Center. It caters to the guy’s guy and there’s nothing wimpy or soft spoken about it. It aims to be fun, loud, entertaining and slightly irresponsible. The event has chicken wings, Hooters November-fest beer garden, fiery foods, home improvement gear, pro sports teams and a tricked-out garage. Not to mention contests, prizes and autographed sports memorabilia.